Cafe Sparrow

Great food

We were a party of 10 for lunch. The food was exceptional, service was good, and prices comparable to other nice restaurants in the area. Would highly recommend.

Great place any time

I’m so glad I remembered this sweet little place as my boyfriend and I had a wonderful anniversary dinner here! The food has always been outstanding, as well as the service. It’s a great memory of our special day!

Last Saturday I went to Cafe Sparrow and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. The food was fantastic and the service helped make the experience. I would highly recommend this place to everyone.

Excellent food in comfortable setting. We had the lamb and a surf and turf dish. Perfectly done and very tasty. Profiteroles were delicious too. A gem of a place! We will be back even though it is quite a drive from our house.

Julie and Bob Montague have a local treasure on their hands and you wouldn't know if unless you dine there. Thoughtfully appointed, yet unassuming, the ambiance is simple and inviting. Owner Julie seated us and shared a bit of history of the decorations. I think 115 yards of fabric were used in the ceiling decoration years ago.
The food could not be better, I'm never disappointed, try anything and everything but whatever you do, don't leave without having a petit dessert, so tasty and cute! I think I'm going back soon, just writing this review is making me hungry!

We have been to Cafe Sparrow a number of times, and have never been disappointed. The food is excellent, with a lot of choices, and also many good options for wine by the glass (including a half-glass).

We had an excellent meal. Definitely a place for a special occasion, but it was very good. Nice food and friendly service without being obtrusive. Really enjoyed it.

A perfect neighborhood place that feels special without being pretentious. The food was delicious and well-portioned. It is small and could occasionally feel a bit crowded, but it was never hard to have a conversation or to feel a sense of privacy. Our server, Helen, was attentive and incredibly genuine. And Bob, the owner and chef, periodically came out to check on all the diners and to chat, making for an even more personal experience.

I had the surf and turf. My filet was cooked perfectly, and the crab cakes were excellent. The vegetables really were allowed to shine and added a vibrancy to the plate. My date had a special Prix Fixe dinner of lamb chops, artichoke soup, and bread pudding. It was a value for just $28. Again, everything was cooked perfectly.

The desserts were solid. Ordering 2 petite desserts allowed us to enjoy more without feeling gluttonous. We definitely are happy to have found this gem in Aptos, and certainly will return.

Cafe Sparrow is one of the nicest restaurants in Santa Cruz County. It is pretty, romantic, and the food is excellent.

I had forgotten about the ‘Sparrow’ over the years...now I’ve fallen back in love with everything about it… The food was superior – the best lamb on the planet earth, great salads, tremendous wine list, and superlative service… Also nice to have the owner/chef come to see how everything was… Love the customer service and love the restaurant… I highly recommend it and I consider it the finest restaurant in Santa Cruz County...

Very consistently good food, excellent service, lovely atmosphere.

Cafe Sparrow in Aptos offers a superior level of cuisine for its area. The crabcakes on my "Surf and Turf" were flavorful, and a nice complement to the small filet that was covered with a nicely done green peppercorn sauce. My wife also enjoyed her cheese fondue, a nice entree for a cool, rainy weekend. The two small deserts, one basically a flan, the other a dense dark chocolate espresso mouse, we also very tasty. Clearly knowledgeable resident locals love Cafe Sparrow, as seated across from us was a retired heart surgeon whom I had not seen for better than ten years! Finally, it was nice to have the executive chef come out to greet us and inquire about our meal.

Very good food, expertly executed and seasoned. The menu has so many tempting choices!
The restaurant is so cozy and charming.

The quality of food was excellent, and the service was even better. We arrived about 30 minutes early for our reservation, but the owner greeted us right away and we were seated within minutes. The waitress we had was extremely attentive and the owner visited our table more than once to ensure that we were having a great experience. Some of the best service that I have ever encountered. Overall, extremely impressive for our first visit to Cafe Sparrow. We will certainly be returning for more amazing food and great experiences.

Very expensive and food wasn’t that great for that price

Fantastic dinner from start to finish. Service was perfect, not rushed at all.

Varied menu with a combination of French and California. My favorite local restaurant.

I’ve been to Cafe Sparrow many times. It never disappoints. I love their rack of lamb. My friends got the duck breast special and it was great.
Everything else, salads, pork belly, and dessert were terrific.

Definitely LOVE Cafe Sparrow. We love the Gigi fondue appetizer and you can't go wrong with any of the salads offered. My favorites on the menu are the rack of lamb with a brandied cherry demi-glaze and the NZ venison. My husband loves their salmon filet topped with crab, but I think its only offered on the specials. If you can't save room for a full dessert, we love that they offer petite versions - the Pots de Creme is a must for chocolate lovers. Good wine list too with decent prices on bottles. Excellent food, excellent service, excellent wine - An absolute joy to dine here!

Always great food!!

Always a favorite restaurant. Usually go for lunch. This was my first dinner experience but it was as good as all my lunch experiences have been. Large varied menu. Nice wine list. Great service.

Very warm and very comfortable. Delicious

Great food, great service! The chef even comes out to greet the tables. Everything was on time, drinks first, etc. They could upgrade the lace doily look but it's still charming.

Top 10 restaurants in the Santa Cruz Area in my opinion.

I keep coming back with my husband. What can I say. We love this special spot.

Excellent food and service. The restaurant is small but warm and inviting. The owner/chef came to our table a few times during our meal which was very pleasant. The French fondue is fabulous if you are a cheese lover!

Maybe the best Sea Bass meal I’ve ever had...which says a lot!

We love this place. The food is so good that it is always difficult to choose. There are so many things on the menu that I want that I just keep going back. They make the best liver and onions I have ever had.

Went to celebrate my birthday. Great waitress. Delicious food. Cozy & romantic...

First time there and it was absolutely amazing! Food was excellent

I always have a fabulous experience here! It is the best in the Santa Cruz greater area~

My special of the day Filet Mignon risotto was DELICIOUS!! It was such a generous serving I enjoyed the other half the next day! Yum!

The food is wonderful, Cafe Sparrow never disappoints!

Café Sparrow is one of my favorite places for dinner & lunch. The Pre-Fix Dinners are always delicious, fresh, served hot, and with a great price. Check out Monday's night dinners. All of their wines are 1/2 price.
It is quiet, so you can hear your dinning partners, and the service is always great. I feel so fortunate to have such a great place to dine for any occasion.
Cheers

This place is truly special. Loved it.

We love Cafe Sparrow. The food is consistently good and the experience enjoyable. The staff is lovely and genuine. A great place to land for a great meal.

I felt very comfortable walking in. The service was wonderful as was the food. Looking forward to returning. Have been talking it up to my friends!!

Wonderful, warm, romantic atmosphere. The food never disappoints. After 25 years of patronage, the only (minor) issue I seem to always have is with wine. The quality of the wine (especially by the glass) doesn't match the quality of the food or atmosphere; not even close. In addition, the servers know very little about wine and can't provide meaningful pairing suggestions. People with discerning palates should be advised to bring their own wine, or expect to be underwhelmed.

Was just a Great Experience
Owner Food Staff
Outstanding